


A Difficult Conversation

by ClothesBeam



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Mention of sparklings, Other, Spark Merging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-03-11
Packaged: 2018-10-02 14:33:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10220366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClothesBeam/pseuds/ClothesBeam
Summary: When Ratchet went to look for Drift, it was really to tell him he was carrying. But with Drift's past and a battle with the DJD on the horizon, this might not be the best news. But maybe they can pretend everything is normal, if only for a little while...





	

Ratchet shifted uncomfortably as he sat in the co-pilot chair. He’d originally come out here to tell Drift about the sparkling that was growing inside him. He wanted to know the thoughts of the other mech involved before he decided whether to abort it. But it had taken so long just to locate him, and then they’d been caught up in all that Hellbat business.

It only seemed awkward to bring it up at this point, and he was growing less sure about what he’d do if the swordsmech had a negative reaction. He could feel its – his – personality was beginning to develop now, and according to his personal moral compass he couldn’t consider termination as a viable option anymore.

So he’d continued to keep his mouth shut and sit through the frame remodifications, making sure the small spark was both hidden and protected by his own during the process. And now they were on their way to battle once again. But the apparent involvement of the DJD wasn’t making the situation any less strained. There was a real danger, one that was all too personal for Drift.

Ratchet looked up from where his hands were resting on his knees to see Drift’s still slightly unfamiliar face was turned in his direction. Ratchet glanced away briefly before meeting his optics once more.

“Are you all right?” Drift asked, arms folded. The autopilot light was blinking again now that they were away from any major planetary bodies and their gravitational fields.

Ratchet’s mouth twisted into a grimace, but he answered anyway. He couldn’t put this off forever, and he’d rather have this conversation in private before Drift heard it from another crew member.

“I didn’t come all this way just to drag you back to the Lost Light,” Ratchet admitted. It was easier just to come right out with it and try to explain later, surely. “I’m… I’m carrying our newspark.”

Drift’s hands clenched and he froze, seeming to need longer to process this than usual. “But how? We only shared spark light that one time, and we were far from Cybertron by then.”

Of course, Drift wasn’t dumb enough to ask him if he was sure, but the questions were valid. Such intimate relationships had been rare both during and before the war, but even so, actually sparking successfully had become even rarer. And no one had had the time to research just why, exactly, that was. Most assumed that proximity with their home planet was required, but clearly that was false.

“I’m not sure. Chances were low, but it was still possible this would happen.” He sighed softly. “Who knows, maybe being in proximity with Rodimus for so long increased the probability?”

Drift laughed half-heartedly at what wasn’t supposed to be a joke and turned away. “Yeah, maybe.” He spoke again, even quieter than before. “But why did you come out here? If the Lost Light isn’t safe, you should be heading back to Cybertron or something.”

“I was going to ask your opinion on the matter before making any life-changing decisions, but it’s a bit late for that now. Still, if you don’t want to be associated with him, that’s all right. I’m technically retired now, so I have time to do this on my own. But I thought it was only right I give you the option.”

Drift shifted uncomfortably. “I-I probably would have said I don’t want it. Not because I don’t want to look after it, but because it might… might turn out like me.”

Ratchet knew what he meant, but snorted anyway. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

Drift gave him a reproachful look, and Ratchet took the hint that if there was anything he didn’t want to joke about, it was his past.

“Well, if this is going to happen anyway, then I don’t want to be completely removed from your lives. Just, all I can think about right now is the immediate future. If the DJD figure out that the sparkling is mine…” Drift clenched his fists, but his hands were still shaking.

Ratchet enveloped his hands with his gently, not bothering to try and pry the warrior’s fists back open. “The DJD aren’t exactly fans of any of us. But our crew needs me to be there when worse comes to worst. They need both of us right now.”

Ratchet ran his thumb over Drift’s knuckle joints, which weren’t straining as much as they had been a moment ago.

“It’s a risk we’re going to have to take.”

Drift’s hands finally loosened and took Ratchet’s in a tight grip. He seemed more resolute than before with his mouth set in a hard line.

“I’ll do what I can to protect you… Both of you.” Drift paused and his expression shifted as another thought seemed to cross his mind. “Can I see it?”

Ratchet turned his chair around further and shuffled forward so he was sitting on the edge of it. “If by ‘see’ you mean merge, then you should only do that if you’re sure you want him to know who you are when he’s fully developed. He’ll probably remember something like this.”

The new information only made Drift hesitate for a moment. “Well no, I didn’t mean that. But I’m sure I want you in my life even if I can’t exactly be a parental figure.”

Drift stood and shuffled closer, coming to rest while straddling Ratchet’s lap so he wouldn’t have to get up as well. Ratchet opened the layers of chest plating he’d retained through the frame upgrade to reveal the soft light of his spark, which still easily dwarfed the new one attached to it. Drift’s optics widened at the sight, and Ratchet wasn’t surprised. It wasn’t exactly a common sight.

“Will it be ok if we merge?” he asked, suddenly less sure about his request.

“We’ll all be fine,” Ratchet assured confidently. “If you lend some of your energy to him, it might even give me a break for a while.”

Drift looked guilty for a moment before letting his own chest plating part and leaning forward to merge. Now that the sides of their helms were resting against each other, his expression was hidden from Ratchet’s line of sight. But that didn’t matter when a raw channel of emotion had just opened between them.

Drift was worried and hesitant, and the sparkling was shy about the new presence, though he wasn’t scared. He knew Drift from Ratchet’s memories, though this kind of confirmation that the outside world existed had to be shocking and uncomfortable. It would still be a while before he could support himself in a cold constructed body, which was all they really had access to at the moment. So, there was still time for him to learn and adjust.

They naturally began to exchange energy and data, and everyone seemed to relax after that. The sparkling keenly latched onto the new source of information and experience. Drift seemed shocked by the demand at first, but he naturally shared what was in his spark and recorded in his processor. Since the sparkling didn’t have the memory space, he wouldn’t remember exact details of what he saw or felt, but Ratchet could tell Drift was growing increasingly nervous as the memories that were being sifted through rapidly approached his time as a Decepticon.

He pulled away quickly when a thought about what might happen to the sparkling if the DJD found out about it crossed his processor. It was uncomfortable to be cut off like that, but not damaging. The thought left them all feeling a little cold as the full grown mechs shut their chest plates again.

“Sorry,” Drift mumbled as he kept his arms around Ratchet’s frame and his cheek against his.

“It’s all right,” Ratchet murmured, and it was. The sparkling had settled again, at least.

He could only hope things would stay that way after they arrived.


End file.
